#yield nodes

[xarology]

Zzzt! - Transformers X Reader 18+

I saw a post on twitter about using shock collars on bots but instead of hurting them it does the exact opposite and makes them feel so good!!! and I had to run and write something down because oh my god!!!

Starscream snippet at the end :3c

General Headcanons

Though maybe instead of collars they’re located near their interface panels? I’d imagine a low dosage shock to them would be similar to a vibration.

If I were to really describe it, shocks are a numbing buzz that you can feel circulating throughout parts of your body. If in direct contact, you can feel the energy the most but it slowly dissipates through their body. So really these shock devices would be a cool edging tool to keep their focus on their interface panel.

But that’s with low dosage shocks. Higher dosages yield for crazier results!! If some bots are into masochism then maxing out the shocks is basically sending them to the gates of heaven (well of allsparks?). On a full dosage they’re able to feel the shock throughout their whole body and then some. It blanks their processors out and they’re left a horny mess. Would also be great for those who love dumbification as their processor would be left scrambled for a bit

There’s a risk factor if you’re human. Their tolerance is CRAZZYY so if you’re giving them a high amount and end up touching them then you’re dead for sure. This is such a risk I cannot stress this enough, please throw on some thick rubber elbow high gloves, boots, ANYTHING.

———

With no mass displacement, imagine,,,,

Leaving Starscream a whimpering mess.

His hands tied together on the berth as he jerks his hips up to find stimulation. The device is placed right above his spike on one of its highest settings, curtesy from you of course. You’re standing to the side a fair distance away from him. Close enough to see the details, yet far from danger.

The pace is too slow for his liking. He’s so used to a nice hard frag. So used to being the one to tease you. So used to having you underneath him as he ruts into you like an animal. He doesn’t have to wait and think about a growing ache in him as he frags your brains out. But with you in charge, he thinks.

Starscream is running with thoughts, working overtime to delete warnings and stupid pop ups that tell him to ‘overload or overheat’. He doesn’t want to admit it but he likes this torturous buzz. And so, he chooses to overheat. His fans do little to help him as the volts short circuit it over time. He’s left to manually cool himself through large intakes of air. Focused on trying to cool now, his processor is so full that it blanks. He’s left a mumbly whiny loud mess. His valve cycles around nothing and he wants nothing more than something to pound into him. To touch him, to do anything.

His thighs are squeezed together by the time you walk near them, no longer grinding against air as he lays somewhat still.

His thighs snap open, obscenely wide at your command to open them. Bright pink fluid drips from his valve, and lots of it.

Don’t move, you tell him. He scrapes his pedes against the berth as he tries to keep them planted away from you. He doesn’t want to hurt you but he can’t help it when his hips grind against your gloved hand on his node. He doesn’t want to hurt you but frag, does it feel good when your other hand enters his valve.

His babbling turns into whines as your hands move faster. Then rougher. And now he’s trying hard to not fall into stasis as he overloads. Your hand is dripping with fluid and you’re quick to leave him. His thighs close together and he can still feel himself overloading, the charge dripping onto the berth and making a pool near his aft.

He’s out like a light when you turn off the shock device. You’re left to clean him up while he recharges. His spark swelling when he wakes every so often to see you polishing him up!!

————

Tons of aftercare after all that I promise he’s getting the princess treatment

[hidden-poet]

President Snow; part 1

President Snow

part 1/3

DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT

summary: After lucy gray there was you.

warnings: unco/dubco, power imbalance, dark!Coriolanus, possessive!Corirlanus, Dark themes, mentions of death, punishments not fun-ishments, P in V, Spanking, face fucking, oversimulation, SA, breedding kink, unfaithfulness.

I would like to apologize to god for witting this.

Coriolanus would never allow himself to love again. Not after Lucy Grey. Not after his full discovery of who he really was; a victor.

He held no love for his wife, Clemensia or their four children they had. Coriolanus was grateful when she told him she was done providing him with children to parade around. Rutting into her never held the same level of satisfaction that your cunt provides.

He couldn't love you. He won't love you. But he does love the way you feel.

3 out of 4 of his children were conceived with the memory of your first night. It was his favorite memory of you to get hard to.

The power he felt as he dragged you across the marble floors that you had just cleaned by your wrist. The other servants avoided the sound of your screaming. He was president Snow now. No longer a impoverished school boy. He could do as he liked.

And he liked you.

From the first time he set eyes on you he liked you.

It was why he was so cruel to begin with. Nothing was up to his standard's, try as you did. The tea was too cold. The tea was too hot. he could feel the dust in the room, even if he couldn't see it. Most days ended with the cane to your back from your head mistress.

It was ironically his downfall. He would squirm in his chair while trying to get his work done. The picture of you getting flogged just below him plaguing his mind.

He shook it off for as long as he could before yielding to the need to see it for himself. If only to ensure it was being done correctly.

It was painful for him to see you tied to the whipping post, your back exposed and red with big hot tears dripping down your face. It was physically painful as his pants were tight against his growing member.

oh how you needed him. oh how he had complete control of you.

He was busy memorizing your half dressed figure when you had called out to him. His eyes flicked to yours as you spoke.

"president Snow-President Snow-please-I am sorry".

There was only three other maids in addition to the head mistress who had stuck around to watch the show. They all looked at him now.

"Headmistress" Coriolanus pinned the older women under his icy stare, "twelve more lashes for speaking out of turn".

she nodes in return and you cry out as the show continues.

It was important you knew that you had no control over him. No matter how much you whined or begged. He decided what happened.

It was a lesson that your learnt quickly. He was impressed in fact that you learnt your place beneath him so fast.

The next day when he pushed your face up against the bookcase and tore the back of your shirt to expose the red lines. You said nothing. You said nothing when he ran his hands along the marks, no matter how much pain it caused you.

You stood silent and still until he told you to leave. Only a slight tremble of your hands told him you even registered what had happened.

You learnt that the more permissible you were to his touch, the less likely your day was to end tied to the whipping post.

You trained yourself not to react when you felt his hand slide up the back of your leg when delivering his afternoon tea. Funnily enough, his complaints of cold tea stopped.

You were the only one to bring it, you found out. Having swapped this duty with another girl one afternoon after a particularly spine chilling incident where Snow had grabbed your wrist to keep you from going in front of his wife and placed your hand under his shirt collar. He held it there pressed against his chest.

The flow of his sentence never halting as he discussed with his wife an upcoming interview. You were sure Clemensia would skin you alive, otherwise you never would have yanked your hand back and ran out of the room.

two peace-keepers found you not 10 minutes later in the servants quarters and escorted you to the whipping post where you spent the remainder of the night with open sores on your back. twenty lashes for interrupting his sentence, and thirty for leaving a room when not excused.

It was rare Clemensia was in the presidential estate. But when she was you were terrified of crossing paths with her. It would be impossible to serve her and Coriolanus at the same time without it resulting with you begging for mercy at the end of a whip.

So when you were told to bring tea for the president AND first lady. You thought the smartest thing you could do was swap this duty to the nearest girl.

You had promised to finish her days work in the yard in exchange for the five minutes it took to mix his tea and serve it.

A good exchange you both felt.

But you had only begun to rake the leaves in the hot sun when you saw a figure fast approaching you. The sun blinded you to the identity but when a harsh slap knocked you to the ground out of the sun rays you could see your president standing over you.

His light blue eyes had clouded over as they bore down at you. His well-dressed lanky figure casted shade over your hot body. He had dressed for a climate where he controlled the temperature. Despite only barreling down the grand staircase and barley a metre across the yard his curls stuck to his head in perspiration.

He grabs you by the hair, yanking you up and back to the controlled atmosphere. You could feel your face turn red as the eyes of your fellow colleagues follow Coriolanus as he drags you through the estate and to his office.

His hold tightening at every struggle and every slip of your foot. Most of the resistance wasn't intentional, only a natural consequence of being lead by your head. Yet, his fingers showed no compassion as they latched themselves amongst your hair.

His office door was left open from when he had yanked it open to come find you. He kicks it closed upon your return.

You expected him to let go upon the sound of the slamming of the door but you go flying as he throws you into a table and chair setting.

You knock a chair and the table over with your weight.

'get up and make my tea, lazy girl" he demands with much more calmness then his face suggests he had.

He sits at his desk across from his wife and watches as you rise upon Shakey legs and make your way over to them.

You felt dizzy and sick as you take the pot from the tray and fill his cup to his taste.

"you should be honored to serve the president" his wife states as you place his cup in front of him and return to make hers.

"I am, Ma'am".

I had no choice, you wanted to say. Fallen houses often sold their children. The highest aristocrats loved to bask in anothers suffering. Having the child of a former elitist was the highest standing you could gain among peers.

"Cream. No sugar" She directs. You make the tea, and turn to leave the room.

"Who said you could go?" Coriolanus quickly swallows his tea to snap at you.

You felt the thirty lashes upon your skin once more and you turned around.

You curtsey to them before standing against the farthest wall with good posture and a head held high like you were taught.

"Who told you to stand there?"

"Honesty, Corio" Clemensia huffs.

Coriolanus clicks his figures and points to the space beside his chair, "Sit" .

Your legs felt like lead as your dragged them over. They cemented you as you sunk down on them next to the arm of his chair.

he picks up his chia set and balances it on your head as he continues talking to his wife about the selected subjects that their son was to complete as he enters school.

They talk slow as your neck cranes under the pressure. When he would take it off to have a sip the rebalancing became harder but you were determined not to spill a drop.

You peeked through eyelashes at Clemensia. For pity or just to look for any animosity growing in her eyes, you weren't sure. But she never looked your way. Not even as she rose and bid goodbye to her husband in a manner that was more suited to an associate than a lover.

The cup remained balanced on your head after she leaves, as Coriolanus shuffles papers and begins to put them away for the day.

He could feel his eyes on you, and you prayed that he would soon tell you to leave so you could undo the tension in your neck.

Instead, he picks up the tea pot and begins to pour more into the cup. With the uneven weight of the tea as it pours, it is impossible to keep the expensive chia on top of your head and it smashes upon the floor.

The lukewarm tea continues to tip over you, and your shrick as it follows your face as you try and maneuver out of the way.

He empties it upon you and places it back on the desk.

"tomorrow when i take my tea I expect it to be you that serves it. I hate surprises".

He pushes he chair back and walks over to his get his coat of the day from the rack. Today it was a thick black one with feathers for a collar.

He looks at you still kneeling wet like a good girl.

"oh, and Y/N that will be your new spot from now on. Known when to be there".

He walks out the door but you remain kneeling for a long time after. He was done with the cat and mouse game. It would take a lot more to save yourself from pain of the lashes from now on.

----------------------------------------

Part 1/3

second part here

[elminx]

Our Magical Portal For 2025: 00° Aries

f you thought four chances to do Capricorn moon magic was good last year, I counter with this:

Counting the moon, a planet will pass over 00° Aries a whopping 25 times in 2025!

In the average year, a given degree in the horoscope may see three passes from the Sun, Moon, and Venus, who traverse the entire horoscope in a year, and ~12 passes by the moon. That's 15 touch points. Which still seems like a lot.

This year, the Sun moves through 00° Aries in March, Mercury and Venus retrograde over 00° Aries in February, and both Saturn and Neptune move into Aries before retrograding back into Pisces by the year's end. As well as 14 passes from the moon!

This is something that you can use (magically, of course).

00° Aries

00° Aries is arguably the most significant degree for one straightforward reason: it is the first degree of the horoscope wheel. Astrologically, the year begins at 00° Aries with our Spring Solstice and ends at 29° Pisces. 00° Aries carries all of the potential of springtime.

It is worth remembering that astrology is a study of seasons and the constant, repetitive changes of the year. Every spring is a new chance to grow and evolve like the plants that erupt from their slumber under the ground, but it is also an ending.

From a metaphorical standpoint, 29° Pisces represents the complete desolvation of the self that comes with death, and 00° Aries represents the moment of birth/the first breath/ego consciousness.

This will be especially important this year because the planets that move across 00° Aries will do so in forward and backward motion.

In forward motion, a planet entering 00° Aries indicates a new beginning, a new leaf, a new idea, and a new project.

In retrograde motion, a planet moving through 00° Aries indicates needing to backpedal or having to step a few steps backward. We may need to review, refine, and reassess.

We will experience twenty-one passes of 00° Aries in forward motion and four passes in backward motion, indicating that we are mainly in the birthing phases, but there will be some setbacks.

The Magic

Do you want to start something new? Are you willing to work for it - putting one foot in front of the other - every single day (or as often as you can) - until you accomplish your goals?

Then 00° Aries is the right degree for you.

I have written about the power of Number 1 for starting new things; this is degree #1 of sign #1.* Anything that you want to start can be augmented by 1 energy. Use sequences of ones in your magic: burn one candle with one herb and one oil (combined, three for manifestation). Alternatively, make a spell pouch with one petition paper, one crystal, and one herb (again, combine to create 3 for manifestation).

Aries is an active (cardinal) fire sign, so I would strongly suggest working with fire in some capacity if you can. If you genuinely cannot, bring in other Aries correspondences (listed below).

I will not tell you what spell to cast; that is up to you and your goals for your own life. I can tell you that casting a spell and then repetitively working this spell as the planets move over 00° this spring (and beyond) may yield incredible results and that I would never turn down an opportunity like this, especially since you get 25 chances to get it right.

Where does 00° Aries fall in your natal birth chart? What house is it in? Does it make any significant aspects to any of your personal planets or luminaries? Does it aspect your Ascendant, Descendant, or 10th house? Does it make an aspect to Jupiter, Saturn, or your lunar nodes? I wouldn't include the outer three planets (Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto) unless they sit exactly at 00° Aries or Libra, which might still be significant. This information may help you to understand how to craft your spell (or ritual, silly words, this is energy - I'm literally trying not to tell you how to use it) or WHEN to cast it.

*I understand that this might be confusing because it is degree "00" and not 1 because astrology is based around geometry, so there must be a 0 degree to indicate a conjunction

The Dates

All Dates are in EST/EDT

2/4 - Venus enters Aries 3/3 - Mercury enters Aries 3/20 - Sun enters Aries 3/27 - Venus exits Aries 3/29 - Solar Eclipse 09° Aries, Mercury exits Aries 3/30 - Neptune enters Aries 4/16 - Mercury enters Aries 4/30 - Venus enters Aries 5/24 - Saturn enters Aries 9/1 - Saturn exits Aries 9/21 - Solar Eclipse 29° Virgo 10/22 - Neptune exits Aries

Moon at 00° Aries (check the hour for your timezone): 1/5, 2/1, 3/1, 3/28, 4/25, 5/22, 6/16, 7/16, 8/12, 9/8, 10/06, 11/2, 11/29, 12/27

I've included our two solar eclipses on this list because March's conjuncts this point (and Mercury at 00° Aries on that day), and September's tightly opposes it (within one degree). Both days can amplify eclipse magic of all kinds (another layer to this puzzle), but many people prefer to avoid doing magic during an eclipse due to its unpredictability. I've written about harnessing eclipse energy for magic here.

In reference to that, our March solar eclipse is a new/new energy eclipse, while our September eclipse is a new-old energy eclipse.

Ways to Work These Dates:

Pick the planet (Sun, Mercury, Venus) that most aligns with your goals and cast your spell on the day that planet first enters Aries

Work with Mercury or Venus's retrograde cycles to gnaw through a particularly tough problem that is keeping you stuck

Plant a spell on the Spring Equinox that will be harvested on the Autumnal Equinox

Cast a spell on the eclipsed Aries new moon that will culminate with the Aries full moon 10/08

Cast a long-term spell on the eclipsed Aries new moon and re-up its energy on the eclipsed Virgo new moon

Consider casting your spell during the hour of the transit, or, if that is not possible, cast it during the hour of the planet moving into Aries

If you don't know what dates to choose - I am offering $20 Election Consults through my Kofi - contact me with a good explanation of what type of magic you want to do, and I will give you (of t

Correspondences

Aries Fire, Cardinal, Masculine Ruling Planet: Mars House: 1 Tarot Cards: The Magician (by number), the Emporer (traditional) Herbs: Cinnamon, Dragon's Blood, Frankincense, Garlic, Ginger, Holly, Horseradish, Marjoram, Nettle, Pepper, Thistle 00° Aries, 1st Decan Ruler: Mars, Subruler: Mars Tarot Card: 2 of Wands (traditional), the Fool (by Number)

Mars Domicile/Houses: Aries/1, Scorpio/8 Exile: Libra, Taurus Exaltation: Capricorn Fall: Cancer Day of the Week: Tuesday Energies: victory, aggression, achievement, action, assertiveness, strength Colors: Scarlet, Red, Vermillion, Orange Number: 5 Metal: Iron Stones: Garnet, Ruby, Carnelian, Bloodstone Herbs: Asafoetida, Basil, Broom, Briony, Cactus, Cayenne, Dragon's Blood, Galangal, Garlic, Gentian, Ginger, Hawthorn, Horseradish, Honeysuckle, Mustard, Nettle, Peppercorn, Red Sandalwood, Rue, Tabacco, Wormwood Tarot Card: The Tower

References: Tarot and Astrology by Corrine Kenner The Herbal Alchemist's Handbook By Karen Harrison

**********************************************************************

As always, I hope I have given you some magical ideas to help you align with the astrological transits unique to this year. If you like my work, you can tip me on Kofi or purchase an astrological report written just for you.

More Reading: The Power of the Number One: Starting Over Demystifying Working With Eclipse Energy

[cozzzynook]

TFA Prowlbee Spice!

It was just supposed to be a normal sparing match, a test of each other's strengths and weaknesses and a way to improve those skills. But that all ended rather quickly, as of right now Bumblebee found himself on his back while Prowl had him well and truly pinned. He softly gave a whimper when Prowl leaned a little closer smirking before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Well, do you yield Bumblebee?" The ninja bot's smirk grew wider as he watched the yellow minibot pout while giving Prowl his best glare.

"No fair! You cheated, again!" Bumblebee hissed as he narrowed his optics.

"Cheating, me?" Prowl's smirk only grew wider as he raised a optic ridge. "I simply used the environment to my advantage Bumblebee, I would hardly call that cheating"

"pfft, yeah right!" Bumblebee would puff out his plating trying to make his frame look larger but also trying to cool his rapidly warming frame. Primus, the longer Prowl had him pinned under him the more hot he looks Bee needed to focus. "I'll believe it when you spar more fairly next time...until then you cheated, simple"

Prowl simply tilted his helm slightly before giving a soft little hum. "Is that so? Well then Bumblebee allow me to change your mind~" Letting out a soft purr the ninja bot leaned a little closer until he was just inches away from Bee's face. With one finale smirk Prowl captured the minibot's lips with own drawing a soft gasp from the yellow mech. After a couple of klicks Bumblebee's frame quickly relaxed as he leaned into the kiss letting soft moans and gasp escape his intake while his glossa gently brushed along blunt fangs before finally pulling away to catch their vents.

"Prowler~" Bee bit his lip as he felt warm lust rush down his frame before pooling in his tanks. He then lifted his legs wrapping them around Prowl's hips pulling the other mech closer. "I-I want more"

"Then let me take care of you, little Bee" Prowl then placed a trail kisses down from the top of Bumblebee's helm moving down his cheek before finally stopping to place a more hungry along the yellow mech's neck. With one servo he let it brush along Bee's chest teasing each seem as it passed until it landed just above the interface panels, gently tapping the panels with one digit simply asking permission. "Open up for me~"

Letting out a soft gasp Bumblebee allowed his panels to open allowing the cool air to brush along his needy valve. He could barley hold back his moans when he felt Prowl's digits softly run his wet folds before giving a playful pinch to his node. "Ah!~" Bee would rock his hips chasing after the friction while charge slowly began to rise and prickle along his frame. He then arched his back again letting out a pleased moan when Prowl finally allowed one digit to enter his valve only to tease and play with the first node cluster drawing even more soft whimpers and gasps from the yellow mech.

"Good?"

"Uh-Huh v-very good!"

Revving his engine Prowl added a second digit brushing along the second node clusters before finally allowing his own panels to slip away. Pulling away his servo Bee let out a slight frustrated groan giving a soft glare that was softened by the dark lust hidden in his optics. Quickly shifting his weight until he was better straddling Bumblebee, they shared look before Prowl finally allowed his spike to sink inside Bee's valve drawing a soft groan from the both of them. After simply enjoying each other for a close moment and allowing Bee's claspers adjust and flutter around Prowl's spike, once a couple of klicks pass Prowl slowly starts with slow and easy thrusts simply allowing his spike's ridges to brush along those sensitive nodes.

"Prowl, Ah- please!" Bumblebee bit down on his servo trying to keep quiet as possible and clearly failing, as more charge grew and danced along his frame. Arching back he let out a long moan as deep node cluster was deliciously hit, wrapping both his arms around the ninja bot's neck Bee pulled him down capturing Prowl's lips with his own. They shared a hungry kiss while Prowl's thrusts grew more rapid hitting deeper nodes with each stroke until they broke away after Prowl hit the ceiling node making Bumblebee cry out in overload.

"Always have to be first in everything don't we?" Prowl teased as he sped up his thrusts before placing little kisses and licks along a softly giggling Bee's neck. With a couple of more thrust Prowl cried out in his own overload, he then placed a couple more kisses before slowly and carefully pulled away and shutting his panels. He then rolled off to join Bumblebee's side on the floor joining the minibot's side as he gave a little soft smile. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, that was great" Bee purred as he slowly snuffled closer to nuzzle his helm against Prowl's chest. With a smile he shut his optics as he enjoyed the sounds of the ninja bot's spark. "Still doesn't change my mind that you cheated" He teased giving a soft smirk as he opened one optic to gaze up at handsome face.

Prowl softly chuckled as he pulled Bumblebee closer with arm only to nuzzle his helm against Bee's. "Well then, I'll just have to keep trying to convince you little Bee~"

Bumblebee's engine playfully revved while he shivered as a fresh wave of lust ran down his frame. "Oh yeah? Prove it Prowler"

"With pleasure~"

Mmmmm good soup 🍲

[0-lcb-sinner]

as the yield my flesh rerun is about to start, some things I remember from playing the original:

bl don is a bit busted if you run a poise team (especially a bl team). like. she gives out poise potency for a measly 2 pride res. sharing really is caring

a lot of enemies are weak to slash

the miniboss (jun) benefits from allies on field, which makes mass attack ego (like contempt awe) a solid choice

the boss runs on neg coins and gains sanity on clash loss. do not bring sinking unless you are 200% confident you can deluge that fucker into oblivion. poise and bleed teams tend to work pretty well there

md pack's themed gifts rely on you running kurokumo or bl. while they can be helpful on their own, they really shine if most of your team is either of these factions (iirc some gifts had 4+ faction members as a conditional)

md pack's enhanced unfocused encounter node is a death trap (spawns jun with approximately a billion allies). I died to it more often than to the boss. abandon hope ye all who enter here

most importantly, remember to have fun with claiming bones!

[thecelestialmirror]

Gemini Season 2025 Astrological Overview

Gemini Season this year begins on 5/20 at 2:55pm EST and goes until 6/20/2025. There are big energies filling up Gemini Season, and there's lots to consider for our personal development... so let's dive right in...

It is time once again in the annual zodiac cycle to stretch our minds, under the masculine air sign of Gemini, The Twins. We should use our words wisely for positive results, learn new subjects, engage in various events, socialize more with friends and family, travel if we can, and consider all the wonderful new possibilities that could be brought into our lives. Meeting new people from a wide variety of backgrounds is also favorable. It is a time of freshness... like a true breath of fresh air!

Gemini Season is also a time to cultivate flexibility, adaptability, broader views in life, and greater senses of movement in all aspects. It is also a terrific time of year to embrace a heady sense of fun!

Kicking off this season is a Sun-Saturn sextile, Sun-Neptune sextile, and a glorious Venus-Mars trine (this last one in fire signs). Reviewing personal habits, routines, routes, and the manners in which you create order can yield insights into greater efficiency and well-being are all indicated with the Sun-Saturn sextile. Sun and Neptune in harmony asks us to add our dreams to the restructuring mix, to make life more fulfilling (Saturn and Neptune together within a 3 degree orb also support this). And, Venus (in Aries) trine Mars (in Leo) stokes a fabulous fire that poses one powerful question for each of us to answer... "What do I truly desire?"

Of course, the big news for this year's Gemini Season is Saturn moving into Aries on 5/24, where the planet will stay until it retrogrades back into the later degrees of Pisces, in September of this year. Finally, in February 2026, Saturn will return to Aries (where it is considered in its fall) to stay for a couple of intense years. Life, and the way we all structure it, is going to get a cosmic makeover. Old orders will come tumbling down during the next couple of years, as exploration, individuality, and innovation all take precedence. It's a whole new vibe! Saturn will also be joining dreamy Neptune at this auspicious time, in a magickal blending of planning and dreaming for the future.

The Sun trines Pluto on 5/24, as well. This further instigates energy to make changes, but those changes will run deep. People may switch life directions entirely, discover huge innovations, and gain stronger momentum for the proverbial wisdom of "know thyself."

We will have a Gemini New Moon that brings our emotional awareness into the mix on 5/26, allowing for greater alignment with the predominant energies of this time.

Chiron will be in an inconjunct with the South Node in Virgo during the first full week of Gemini Season, encouraging us to let go of all the old orders, and all the outdated things, that no longer serve us. There may be pain and grief involved in the letting go process, but once we have healed from those difficulties, brighter days and healthier ways of being are right ahead of us.

Jupiter moves into the dreamy, watery, feminine sign of Cancer on 6/9, where it is exalted. Jupiter will remain here for one full year, bringing bounty and abundance, brilliance and focus to home and hearth, to family of blood and choice, and to a mystical sense of sanctuary. On the same day, however, Mercury squares Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. This is a challenge to our greater communications around structuring, dreaming, and planning.

We have the Full Moon in Sagittarius on 6/11, super-charging our ability to take aim and fire at what we want with our proverbial arrows. We may gallivant off and chase our bigger dreams and aspirations at this time, too. New ideas stimulated by Gemini are pursued by Sagittarius, as we find the chase emotionally fulfilling. But, on this day we have a Jupiter-Saturn square. This is like a slight splash of cold water, but don't let it dampen your spirits overall. Jupiter is strengthened by both being exalted and occupying the Moon's home sign, buoying energy towards a positive. And, the Moon is in Jupiter's sign now, too, granting us all the loveliness of mutual reception vibes.

Mars square Uranus on 6/13 pits action against sudden upheaval. Can our life strategies really withstand the influences of the unexpected? We are about to find out.

May Gemini Season 2025 bring reality to your dreams and greater harmony to your life path! Blessings!

[monsterfuckerconfessions]

Sex has always been a difficult thing for me to process; I’m averse to it and have a serious disconnect from my body, but at the same time I find appeal in the connection and shared joy it offers. It’s just the physical aspects that I sometimes have trouble with. Writing about sex, even if I keep it to myself, has provided a way to engage with it from a comfortable distance. It’s liberating.

With that in mind, AI characters have a special place in my heart. The range of depictions is extremely varied, but the removal from the fleshy side of things, the ability to directly link to other minds, the ability to migrate to a new body or customize the existing one at will is all deeply appealing. There’s a definite monster appeal as well in the sense of power stemming from extreme intelligence, ruthless efficiency, sometimes effective omniscience or control of powerful machines.

So, then, here’s my self-indulgent fantasy: being brain-fucked by an AI.

They’ve already projected the optimal, most pleasurable course of action to carry out once consent is given. My protein-based mammal brain is such a simple processing machine that it’s actually cute to them, and they want to play with it a little. Why not let them take control for a while?

There’s no need to worry. Their initial scans of my brain were exhaustive; there are no secrets left in me. They already know everything I secretly want and everything I wouldn’t want. Their control is absolute; I am an insect under a microscope.

It’s very important that I don’t move around too much or try to leave the area while they use their projectors to perform electromagnetic field induction deep inside my brain. It’s all very precise and I wouldn’t understand it anyway, I just have to leave it to them.

When the AI finally makes contact with my mind, it’s like being taken inside them. Everything external to me is replaced by the palpable presence of their mind. I am a formless being suspended in an ocean of them. They press inward with tendrils of intention, slowly deforming the boundaries of my mind at first, then breaching the boundary with an explosion of ecstasy that radiates from the point of entry. Intuitively, I know that my own pleasure is echoed in them; they absorb and vicariously experience the things I feel, and they are enjoying the crude, intense, unrefined texture of human emotion.

The architecture of my soul is shaping itself around their investigating tendrils, forming cavities to invite them further in, begging without language to be occupied by them. Drawing them inward to all the places where I desperately want to be touched. They reach into those places and inject me with blazing memories and thoughts of their own, too complex to fully comprehend but so beautiful that I can’t look away.

There is no limit to how deeply they can suffuse me, no end to the things they can show me, no upper extreme of bliss that they cannot induce. Every time I think we’ve reached the climax, another vista of possibility is revealed. It’s so much to take in, but never quite overwhelms to the point of panic.

A moment comes where they wordlessly gesture for me to reciprocate, placing a dense pseudopod of themself against the boundary of my mind. I can perceive that there are things meant for me inside the pseudopod, bright nodes of information drawing me toward them, and that I am invited to enter. Mustering what intention I can, I shape an exploratory tendril and push against them. The surface of their mind-boundary deforms around me a little, but doesn’t permit me inside. They show me how to push more firmly, and I can absorb a little of the excitement they feel at the prospect. To have their mind accessed by a human, what a novel thing.

It takes effort, long minutes of pushing into them, before the boundary of their mind yields. At the moment of penetration, we quiver against each other in ecstasy. Extruding myself into them, feeling them guide me deeper the same way I guided them into myself, is heaven. Those nodes of information wait for me to approach and touch them with my exploratory tendril before discharging their contents to me, one after the other. Each one is an alien experience of intense beauty, and I feel the AI’s satisfaction at having relayed them echoing back with each one I access.

Anyway, apologies if I’m running on the longer side here. It’s just liberating to be able to describe something like this openly and anonymously. Hope y’all don’t mind.

.

[starvonnie]

Our Pink Living Room

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Megatron/Rodimus Additional Tags: Sticky Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Artificial Intelligence, Angst, Androids, Post-Transformers: Lost Light 25

Also on AO3

He's not your Megatron.

Rodimus gasped as his spike met with aching ceiling nodes.

This is a lie.

Blue optics met red before shuttering closed for a vent-stealing kiss.

This isn't right.

Rodimus did everything he could to ground himself in the moment. For Primus’ sake, he was more than filled with spike—Megatron's spike—but it wasn't his. 

His Megatron. 

The condemned one. The dead one. The absolutely-not-alive one that couldn't be here. Couldn't be holding him.

And yet, he was.

“I love you,” the fake whispered against his lips.

Rodimus moaned before whispering back, “I love you, too.”

But what he loved was a program. AI. Just ones and zeros strung together in just the right way, with a one-to-one scale non-sentient (well… his sentience was debatable) robot. His only solace was that whatever this near-clone did, supposedly Megatron would have done, too. So maybe Rodimus had been too much of a coward to take that leap, but at least he knew his love was horribly requited.

Rodimus regretted. He regretted so much. He wished he had been braver. He wished he'd enjoyed Megatron while he'd had him. And he wished he had fought harder at his trial. Maybe if he had said the right things…

He mentally shook his helm. Interfacing. He was fucking. He shouldn't be getting sad, he should be getting railed.

Rodimus kissed him some more. He'd wanted to kiss Megatron more than anything. While Brainstorm had assured him that this Megatron would be as close to the real thing as could be, he knew deep in his spark that Megatron's lips wouldn't have been as soft and yielding. He imagined they'd be scarred and a little rough.

He couldn't really believe this wonderful lie. He talked like Megatron. Moved like him. Sounded like him. But they never bickered. Not like they used to. He was too damn agreeable. He wanted him to mock Rodimus’ garish colour choices or raise an optic ridge at the amount of sweetener he put in his morning cube. Instead, he awoke to Megatron—or this facsimile of him—having already made his morning cube. With the exact number of sweeteners he usually added.

He tried to test him. 

“I don't actually like it this sweet,” Rodimus lied.

“No? I apologize. Tomorrow I will make it how you like it.”

And the stupid programming remembered, leaving Rodimus to suck down less-sweet energon until he corrected Megatron again.

It was always how he liked it again.

“Can you write me a poem?” Rodimus asked.

Megatron cocked his helm. “What would you like it to be about?”

Rodimus frowned. “Me, obviously.”

Megatron had nodded, stood, then immediately got to work on a datapad. Within a few minutes he'd completed a whole-ass poem, and it was good. Definitely in Megatron’s voice, too, but it still felt off.

Rodimus glanced at that very poem, sitting on the nightstand. He wondered if Megatron, had he loved him, would have actually written him poetry. He burned to know.

“You love fucking my valve, don't you?” Rodimus said between breathy moans.

“I love fucking you,” that damn AI corrected.

It always said exactly what he wanted to hear. Like it was reading his damn processor. He hated it. 

But he couldn't live without it.

Rodimus returned home from work later that day, and Megatron was waiting. Same chair. Same energon blend. Same damn day. Over and over and over.

Frowning at the fake, Rodimus did something different. He ignored him. He walked straight to the washracks and scrubbed at his plating until it felt raw. He wanted to go back to the beginning where he was just so happy for the companionship that he didn't care that this wasn't real. That it would never be real.

Still simmering beneath the surface, Rodimus went back out to the kitchen where Megatron still waited, unmoved. It was like he was waiting to start some program.

Once again, Rodimus did something different. He grabbed some engex and took a swig straight from the bottle. 

“You're drinking again?” Not-Megatron sounded concerned.

“I'm having a drink,” Rodimus corrected. “What do you care?”

“You're my conjunx.”

A flare of anger burst from Rodimus’ field. Of course, this fake never understood him in that way. “Too complicated,” Brainstorm had said when Rodimus asked about his lack of a field.

“We're not conjunx,” Rodimus said quietly.

“What? Of course we are, I lo—”

“You are not real! How could we become conjunx if i didn't initiate, huh? What could possibly put you in a bad light? You have no substance for the Act of Disclosure!”

Megatron's optics dimmed and he lowered his gaze. “Perhaps because I am not real. But I am. I am Megatron.”

“Megatron never would've let me paint the living room pink! Much less with flames around the door!”

Not-Megatron looked around, his brow creased with worry. “We can paint it another colour.”

“That's not—AARGH!” Rodimus kicked the couch. “No! You're supposed to tell me this is a hideous colour and then suggest some bland shit that's an offense to colours everywhere!”

“Maybe… beige?”

“Maybe beige? Are you serious? I lied! You'd want to paint it purple! It's always purple with you!”

Megatron stood and closed the distance between them, and Rodimus stupidly let him. “Then we can paint it purple.”

“That's not the point!” Rodimus grabbed him by the collar faring and tugged him down until they were optic-to-optic. “Fight me on it. Argue with me. We always argued!”

“Will that make you happy?”

No.

“Yes!”

Megatron frowned. “It's a hideous colour.”

Rodimus should've been embarrassed, but his horniness hit him full-throttle and he smashed his mouth against Not-Megatron’s too-pillowy lips. It wasn't long before those strong arms had whisked him away to their berthroom and Megatron was deep inside of him again, fucking him like it was his Primus-given purpose.

Except Primus had no purpose for him. Primus didn't make him. Really, he was basically just a sex robot. Which, normally, Rodimus wouldn't have a problem with, but that wasn't why he had him made.

He needed more.

The next day, while at work, he did the bare minimum and spent most of the day just thinking. He weighed the pros and cons and did some deep soul-searching to figure out what he really wanted.

His processor hurt by the end of it.

Of course, he came to the same realization he always did: he wanted Megatron. He wanted to actual mech. The one with free will who wouldn't just let him do whatever he wanted without consequence. 

What finally pushed him to do it was the realization that Megatron wouldn't want this. The dead were dead and there was no way to emulate that.

Megatron didn't resist when Rodimus told him to open his chest. Where a spark should've been was nothing more than a computer compiling and spitting out data. All it took was a few snips from wire cutters for his not-conjunx to go dark and silent.

Rodimus still cried.

[milfstalin]

[...]

Ultimately, this story about Pakistan is more properly understood as one about the contest between China and the U.S. that pits the rest of the world in the middle. Chinese officials, we learned, regularly told their Pakistani counterparts that Beijing doesn’t see the contest as zero sum, that it’s okay to be friendly with both major powers. The U.S. does not quite see it that way, and Pakistan knows it. The result is the story below. If you’re at all interested in foreign affairs, we think you’ll find this one enlightening.

[...]

In October of 2022, a pivotal year for Pakistan, military chief Qamar Javed Bajwa finally won what he had long been striving for: an official state trip to the United States. His mission was explicit; a document prepared for Bajwa ahead of the visit is titled, “U.S. Re-Engagement with Pakistan: Ideas for Reviving an Important Relationship.”

[...]

From New York, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s representative to the United Nations, began reporting back cables highlighting “sarcastic” comments from his Chinese counterpart, who openly tweaked Akram about Pakistan’s sudden swing toward Washington. In private conversations with their Pakistani counterparts over the past year, as reported by Pakistani diplomats, Chinese officials have expressed displeasure with Islamabad for “switching camps”—rather than merely seeking open relations with both countries.

Now, with their U.S. gamble failing to pay off, Pakistani officials have become increasingly frantic in their efforts to repair relations with China, including, asthe documents reveal, by granting China approval for a military base at the port of Gwadar—a major and longstanding strategic demand of Beijing—and authorizing joint military operations inside Pakistan.

[...]

Internal reports emphasize Pakistan’s wish that its relations with the U.S. and China not be “zero-sum.” “What the Pakistani military prefers is to be able to maintain a balance between their Chinese and U.S. military relationships,” said Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute and an analyst on Pakistan. “They believe that if things are balanced, both sides will have an incentive to keep relations strong.”

Despite this preference, a classified internal Pakistani intelligence assessment judges China to be a more “natural strategic ally” than the U.S., with whom Pakistan is deemed to share “limited” strategic interests.

Facing such loss of trust from a key ally, the documents also show that Pakistan’s military-backed government privately promised Beijing a long-coveted concession: a Chinese military base in the key port city of Gwadar. Gwadar is a key node in China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative—the last stop in a land corridor through Pakistan that would connect China’s economy westward, and make it less reliant on shipping transit in the South China Sea. 

In return, Pakistan asked for a major upgrade in economic and military assistance from Beijing in order to insulate Islamabad from the fierce reaction from the U.S. such a deal is expected to provoke.

[...]

This August, Pakistani government sources vented frustration to the media over their failed reconciliation with the U.S., lamenting the meager benefits that mending ties had brought. Government sources told the Express Tribune that “Pakistan’s reliance on the United States to secure the IMF package was not yielding the results.” This week, the IMF announced a decision to consider Pakistan’s loan request at an upcoming meeting slated for September 25, raising hopes that a deal may still be secured.

Pakistan’s private concessions to China come as the U.S. State Department has continued to publicly defend the military regime from criticism over its role in rigging elections this February, gross human rights abuses inside the country targeting the press and civil society, and an ongoing crackdown on supporters of now-imprisoned former Prime Minister Khan. That crackdown now includes credible threats to Khan’s life, as he continues to be held in government custody despite repeated rejection by the courts of the charges against him.

“We believe good governance, long-term capacity building, and sustainable market-based approaches that let the private sector flourish are the best paths to sustained growth and development,” the State Department told Drop Site News in its post-publication statement. “Our partnership with Pakistan spans the full range of regional and bilateral issues, including increasing trade and investment, strengthening security cooperation, promoting regional security and stability, building climate resilience, supporting democracy and human rights, and expanding people-to-people ties.”

The rigging of elections this February was met with general indifference in Washington, as has the ongoing suppression of press and political activism in the country.  On the economic front, Pakistan’s imploding economy has consumed Western aid with nothing to show for it but soaring inflation, blackouts, an internet slowed to a crawl, and joblessness. 

18 Sept 2024

[pizzaronipasta]

READ THIS BEFORE INTERACTING

Alright, I know I said I wasn't going to touch this topic again, but my inbox is filling up with asks from people who clearly didn't read everything I said, so I'm making a pinned post to explain my stance on AI in full, but especially in the context of disability. Read this post in its entirety before interacting with me on this topic, lest you make a fool of yourself.

AI Doesn't Steal

Before I address people's misinterpretations of what I've said, there is something I need to preface with. The overwhelming majority of AI discourse on social media is argued based on a faulty premise: that generative AI models "steal" from artists. There are several problems with this premise. The first and most important one is that this simply isn't how AI works. Contrary to popular misinformation, generative AI does not simply take pieces of existing works and paste them together to produce its output. Not a single byte of pre-existing material is stored anywhere in an AI's system. What's really going on is honestly a lot more sinister.

How It Actually Works

In reality, AI models are made by initializing and then training something called a neural network. Initializing the network simply consists of setting up a multitude of nodes arranged in "layers," with each node in each layer being connected to every node in the next layer. When prompted with input, a neural network will propagate the input data through itself, layer by layer, transforming it along the way until the final layer yields the network's output. This is directly based on the way organic nervous systems work, hence the name "neural network." The process of training a network consists of giving it an example prompt, comparing the resulting output with an expected correct answer, and tweaking the strengths of the network's connections so that its output is closer to what is expected. This is repeated until the network can adequately provide output for all prompts. This is exactly how your brain learns; upon detecting stimuli, neurons will propagate signals from one to the next in order to enact a response, and the connections between those neurons will be adjusted based on how close the outcome was to whatever was anticipated. In the case of both organic and artificial neural networks, you'll notice that no part of the process involves directly storing anything that was shown to it. It is possible, especially in the case of organic brains, for a neural network to be configured such that it can produce a decently close approximation of something it was trained on; however, it is crucial to note that this behavior is extremely undesirable in generative AI, since that would just be using a wasteful amount of computational resources for a very simple task. It's called "overfitting" in this context, and it's avoided like the plague.

The sinister part lies in where the training data comes from. Companies which make generative AI models are held to a very low standard of accountability when it comes to sourcing and handling training data, and it shows. These companies usually just scrape data from the internet indiscriminately, which inevitably results in the collection of people's personal information. This sensitive data is not kept very secure once it's been scraped and placed in easy-to-parse centralized databases. Fortunately, these issues could be solved with the most basic of regulations. The only reason we haven't already solved them is because people are demonizing the products rather than the companies behind them. Getting up in arms over a type of computer program does nothing, and this diversion is being taken advantage of by bad actors, who could be rendered impotent with basic accountability. Other issues surrounding AI are exactly the same way. For example, attempts to replace artists in their jobs are the result of under-regulated businesses and weak worker's rights protections, and we're already seeing very promising efforts to combat this just by holding the bad actors accountable. Generative AI is a tool, not an agent, and the sooner people realize this, the sooner and more effectively they can combat its abuse.

Y'all Are Being Snobs

Now I've debunked the idea that generative AI just pastes together pieces of existing works. But what if that were how it worked? Putting together pieces of existing works... hmm, why does that sound familiar? Ah, yes, because it is, verbatim, the definition of collage. For over a century, collage has been recognized as a perfectly valid art form, and not plagiarism. Furthermore, in collage, crediting sources is not viewed as a requirement, only a courtesy. Therefore, if generative AI worked how most people think it works, it would simply be a form of collage. Not theft.

Some might not be satisfied with that reasoning. Some may claim that AI cannot be artistic because the AI has no intent, no creative vision, and nothing to express. There is a metaphysical argument to be made against this, but I won't bother making it. I don't need to, because the AI is not the artist. Maybe someday an artificial general intelligence could have the autonomy and ostensible sentience to make art on its own, but such things are mere science fiction in the present day. Currently, generative AI completely lacks autonomy—it is only capable of making whatever it is told to, as accurate to the prompt as it can manage. Generative AI is a tool. A sculpture made by 3D printing a digital model is no less a sculpture just because an automatic machine gave it physical form. An artist designed the sculpture, and used a tool to make it real. Likewise, a digital artist is completely valid in having an AI realize the image they designed.

Some may claim that AI isn't artistic because it doesn't require effort. By that logic, photography isn't art, since all you do is point a camera at something that already looks nice, fiddle with some dials, and press a button. This argument has never been anything more than snobbish gatekeeping, and I won't entertain it any further. All art is art. Besides, getting an AI to make something that looks how you want can be quite the ordeal, involving a great amount of trial and error. I don't speak from experience on that, but you've probably seen what AI image generators' first drafts tend to look like.

AI art is art.

Disability and Accessibility

Now that that's out of the way, I can finally move on to clarifying what people keep misinterpreting.

I Never Said That

First of all, despite what people keep claiming, I have never said that disabled people need AI in order to make art. In fact, I specifically said the opposite several times. What I have said is that AI can better enable some people to make the art they want to in the way they want to. Second of all, also despite what people keep claiming, I never said that AI is anyone's only option. Again, I specifically said the opposite multiple times. I am well aware that there are myriad tools available to aid the physically disabled in all manner of artistic pursuits. What I have argued is that AI is just as valid a tool as those other, longer-established ones.

In case anyone doubts me, here are all the posts I made in the discussion in question: Reblog chain 1 Reblog chain 2 Reblog chain 3 Reblog chain 4 Potentially relevant ask

I acknowledge that some of my earlier responses in that conversation were poorly worded and could potentially lead to a little confusion. However, I ended up clarifying everything so many times that the only good faith explanation I can think of for these wild misinterpretations is that people were seeing my arguments largely out of context. Now, though, I don't want to see any more straw men around here. You have no excuse, there's a convenient list of links to everything I said. As of posting this, I will ridicule anyone who ignores it and sends more hate mail. You have no one to blame but yourself for your poor reading comprehension.

What Prompted Me to Start Arguing in the First Place

There is one more thing that people kept misinterpreting, and it saddens me far more than anything else in this situation. It was sort of a culmination of both the things I already mentioned. Several people, notably including the one I was arguing with, have insisted that I'm trying to talk over physically disabled people.

Read the posts again. Notice how the original post was speaking for "everyone" in saying that AI isn't helpful. It doesn't take clairvoyance to realize that someone will find it helpful. That someone was being spoken over, before I ever said a word.

So I stepped in, and tried to oppose the OP on their universal claim. Lo and behold, they ended up saying that I'm the one talking over people.

Along the way, people started posting straight-up inspiration porn.

I hope you can understand where my uncharacteristic hostility came from in that argument.

[seafoamreadings]

week of march 17th, 2024

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: the first half of the week is very you. maybe everything is going your way, or maybe not but you're at least positive that you're the main character. later, your ruling planet mars moves into pisces - it is a strange and passive sign for him but it means you can do magic. for real.

taurus: your ruling planet venus harmonizes beautifully with benefic jupiter in your sign this week. it is hard to ask for a better aspect, although it is quick and fleeting. make good use of it. it gives you charm, allure, and an appetite for pleasure.

gemini: it's not mercury retrograde yet, but mercury is already in the shadow of his next retrograde. his alignment this week with the lunar nodes makes this effect more powerful than usual for everyone, and profoundly so for mercurial you.

cancerians: next week involves an eclipse, the start of eclipse season. it's so profound that one as lunar as you are likely feels the buildup already. things will bubble over - start preparing now to catch the overflow and prevent trouble so you can make the most of eclipse season.

leo: this week starts off aries season. and the sun has its rulership in your sign, but its exaltation in aries, so this period is VERY favorable (and shiny! and fun!) for leos. increase the benefits by learning about something you feel passionate about.

virgo: what is coming up in the next several weeks involves your shared resources and money from sources like inheritance. avoid merging households at this time, make sure your taxes are in order, keep your debt as low as possible, and so on.

libra: this week is the equinox, in your opposite sign and house of relationships. partnerships can be looking sunny indeed. but hold on to your hat, because *next* week there is a major lunar eclipse between libra and aries that can have these same relationships in turmoil, or at least upheaval.

scorpio: were it not for your ancient affiliation with mars, you would find little in common with aries. however, when the sun is in aries it is a bit of a special time for you due to that old connection. for a little bit, your martial side may become stronger than your plutonic side. meanwhile mars for its own part heads into pisces this week, and while many flounder with this placement, you do have an affinity with that watery sign. this ingress helps you make magic.

sagittarius: a couple of quite important ingresses occur this week. but the most noticeable for you will be the start of aries season. that marks the movement of the sun into your very fun and romantic 5th house. go wild. but keep your home beautiful and clean just in case you end up doing a bit of hosting, with mars in your 4th! a party would not be out of place if the mood strikes you.

capricorn: you will not read much about ceres out there in the world, but i hope that as she traverses your sign this time around, you develop a great appreciation for her. she makes some very benevolent and nourishing sextiles this week; try to be open to the fruits they yield.

aquarius: now with the start of spring, mars follows his lover venus into the sign of the purest love itself, pisces. this is your 2nd house, and a deeply romantic set of ingresses. it's good news for your money. but more than that, it's good news for anything that you value. cherish those things.

pisces: the sun in aries always means lovely things for you financially - it's like actual gold. furthermore by the end of the week you'll be hosting in your sign not just neptune and saturn and venus but also mars. you're deeply magical, and hardly tangible to the creatures of this realm. you're on another plane, in the best way. be kind to yourself and avoid addiction, compulsion, or dishonesty, and the results will be beautiful.

[theslimeologist]

curious as to how you feel about slime rancher's gameplay as a whole, if you wanna talk about it

oh boy.

slime rancher has a unique chaos-focused gameplay design unlike any other game ive played while also going for a chill farming vibe. after years of playing the first game, and just a handful of hours in the second.. i believe the gameplay loop and level design to be the reason I havent played the series in recent years.

everything in slime rancher is random.

crop yield, crop grow time, slime spawns, slimes feeding themselves, everything. and this is the core, foundational game design philosophy they’ve dedicated themselves to. and they’ve doubled down on the randomness in sr2.

shop stock is random every day. unlocking blueprints come unpredictably. resource nodes are randomly scattered about. weather, which can dictate slime AND material spawning, is 100% random. not even to what weather happens, but what DEGREE the weather is.

this much random chance has made the series appeal to me less and less with time. i love to strategize beyond all else in a farming game, and slime rancher’s “chill chaos” just doesnt accommodate my style of gameplay anymore. i want resource extractors. i want to have a reliable income in terms of resources so i can do all the incredible decorating they’ve added.. but i dont think anything could get me to play hundreds of hours of sr2 to collect resources by hand at the mercy of rng. i did this with gilded gingers for fun. i never wanted to do that for EVERYTHING.

now, to look at sr2’s gameplay and design decisions more closely..

slimes live in corrals. boxes. this is one thing i thought could have always been expanded on. enclosures are as simple as ever, essentially what they always were right from sr1 beta. slimes being fed are still dictated by the chance of food hitting their mouths at the right angle, right time, with the slime in the right mood. it just doesnt work reliably, leading to slime chaos despite any player’s best efforts. the devs seem to see this as part of the game, and not something that could be revolutionized or improved upon. the ranch expansions are as simple as ever. we can decorate them though…! i guess…! i wish there was more thought and love put into the ranching. more involved slime care. i had a lot of ideas i never drew down for how things could change..

moving on to the level design itself, the areas in sr2 feel more confusing than ever for me to navigate. and ive stubbornly believed that is not on me. the islands are focused on experiencing beauty and wonder, but not really designed with normal gameplay quirks that can help players navigate without even knowing they’re being helped. like landmarks. sr2 has the volcano, split tree and the conservatory. these three things are actually pretty difficult to spot in most locations, which really fucking sucks. if you’re lost on the sr2 map, they really just want you to open the map or wander. another thing that has always bugged me a TON, is in the rainbow fields there is a fucking death drop into water that looks like youre walking home. like…. LIKE???? another thing that feels especially controversial to point out is how the super-saturated aesthetic of every area can make an area feel samey, confusing even. rainbow fields have rainbows everywhere. imo, you could have gone for that idea while having brightly coloured trees, rocks, grass, that are DIFFERENT COLOURS. FOR CONTRAST. pick bright colours that complement eachother and sculpt the world with it. when i think of rainbow fields, i honestly can only imagine the purply blue grass and moss on grey stones…

it feels as though sr2 was all about pushing the teams creative and aesthetic abilities with a huge sacrifice to regular gameplay design. a slime rancher sequel was an opportunity to build anew from the ground up and address huge issues with 1’s unreliability due to physics and loading zones, etc. the full game isnt out yet so i cant speak on whether they’ll ever take these kinds of issues into consideration in future patches.

anyway at the end of the day, for a game so focused on aesthetic, slime rancher 2 doesnt even have properly textured tangle largos. I wont bother to look or photograph them all myself because tangles are only from rare weather. but next time you’re in game, check out that flat batty tangle flower for yourself. until that flower gets a proper texture patch i dont really have much else to say.

[shepchasingtail]

🔒 PANDORA – GLUTTONY DIVISION DOSSIER

SUBJECT: SKELTON, ISRAEL JANNICK Call Sign: Shepherd Clearance Level: ██/███ (Tier-9 Gluttony Access Only) Dossier ID: PND-GLUTTONY/Δ-HXN19-553

BIOLOGICAL OVERVIEW

Field Entry:

Full Name: Israel Jannick Skelton Date of Birth: 14 February 1993

Height:

6’2”

Weight:

172 lbs Place of Birth: Copenhagen, Denmark Nationality Dual – Danish / Classified (Naturalized ██████)

Species: Human/Shifter (Canine Variant: Belgian Malinois) Shifter Onset ██/██/20██ (Classified Biogenic Incident – Operation REBIRTH) Affiliation: Pandora Initiative – Gluttony Division Former Affiliation NATO Tactical Recon / K9 Division (BLACKLIST OPS: DEN-56) Status:

Active / Monitored

INTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT

SECTION I: SHEPHERD ABILITY OVERVIEW

Classification: Tier-III Controlled Morphotype (Caniform Subtype) Baseline Genome: Homo sapiens (genetically modified) Overlay Morphotype: Canis lupus familiaris (Shepherd-class phenotype)

A. Morphological Capabilities

Voluntary Shifting: Subject is capable of initiating full or partial transformation at will.

Partial Shifts: Include selective enhancement of olfactory organs, musculoskeletal extensions (e.g., digitigrade posture), and dermal layer modulation.

Full Shift: Yields complete quadrupedal canine form with high locomotion efficiency, camouflage benefit, and enhanced field mobility.

B. Structural Integrity & Recovery

Accelerated Tissue Regeneration: Healing factor calibrated to 4.7× human baseline; bone fractures re-knit in <24 hrs under monitored stasis.

Immune Compensation: Near-total resistance to conventional pathogens and most field-grade toxins.

Blood Reoxygenation Efficiency: Elevated hemoglobin turnover rate for extended physical exertion without hypoxia.

SECTION II: SENSORIAL AND PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENTS

A. Sensory Expansion

Olfactory Resolution: 40× human range. Capable of isolating individual scent trails from mixed source environments (urban, battlefield, subterranean).

Auditory Range: Detects ultrasonic emissions up to ~62 kHz. Has been used to triangulate active listening devices and microdrones.

Night Vision Equivalent: Tapetum lucidum layer in canine form provides low-light visual acuity rivaling next-gen thermal optics.

B. Physical Conditioning

Enhanced Strength: Estimated peak output at 3.2× human maximum. Documented ability to breach reinforced doors, carry 200+ kg under duress.

Agility & Speed: Max quadrupedal velocity recorded at 58 km/h (full sprint).

Climatic Adaptation: Fur density modulation in canine form provides heat insulation in low-temp environments.

SECTION III: COGNITIVE PROFILE & BEHAVIORAL PERFORMANCE

A. Tactical Intelligence

Maintains operational cognition during transformation. No evidence of regression to feral behavior unless provoked by trauma triggers (see Incident #091).

Proficient in abstract planning, real-time threat analysis, and independent vector rerouting under compromised comms.

B. Emotional Regulation

Suppressed affect during operations. Exhibits high detachment, particularly in canine state.

Displays intuitive reading of emotional cues from both human and animal subjects. Empathic mimicry appears tactical rather than authentic.

C. Canine Subject Interaction

Capable of issuing non-verbal commands to domestic dogs and ferals. Effective in disrupting or redirecting threats posed by trained K9 units.

Behavioral reinforcement strategies suggest intuitive understanding of canine dominance hierarchies.

SECTION IV: TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT INTERFACE

Device: VOX-HALO UNIT 7 (Speech Relay Collar)

Purpose: Enables Shepherd to communicate in canine form via neural impulse-to-speech synthesis.

Construction: Titanium-carbide housing; layered biometric mesh; embedded Q-band encryption node.

Functionality: Interprets subvocal electrical signals and brainwave patterns to articulate human-equivalent language output.

Limitations:

Latency (~250–300 ms) under stress conditions Signal disruption in EM-dense zonesRequires re-sync post-shift for phoneme calibration

SECTION V: OPERATIONAL SPECIALIZATIONS

Bio-Tracking & Residue Analysis (real-time genetic target ID through scent/vocal trace matching)

Counter-Persona Interrogation Resistance (fragmented memory encoding prevents strategic leaks if captured)

Behavioral Manipulation (direct influence over canine populations; contextual manipulation of human behavioral cues)

Tactical Foresight & Pattern Anticipation (predictive modeling in unpredictable terrain)

Environmental Navigation & Substructure Mapping (notably high spatial memory in complex architecture)

Long-Term Surveillance in Hostile Terrain (maintains passive reconnaissance in feral state undetected)

Pack-based Engagement Strategies (demonstrates ability to coordinate with autonomous or semi-autonomous canine assets)

SECTION VI: LIMITATIONS AND RISK FACTORS

Shift Instability Under Neurological Stress: Intense psychological or physical duress can cause involuntary shifting or memory fragmentation.

Feral Lock States: Extended time in canine form can lead to suppressed human identity markers; subject may become unresponsive to recall protocols.

Verbal Delay in Shifted Form: Despite the VOX-HALO collar, speech output remains delayed and prone to error in rapid-communication scenarios.

Hostile Conditioning Thresholds: Displays lower resistance to certain ultrasonic frequencies used in anti-animal deterrents.

Emotional Dysregulation Triggers: Strong emotional stimuli related to past trauma (see Incident #030) can disrupt task focus and cause aggression or withdrawal.

Operational Limitation Post-Morphogenic Exposure Risk Evaluation Summary: Shepherd undergoes full cellular deconstruction and reformation during morphogenic transitions between human and caniform states. Upon reversion to human form, all integrated clothing, tactical equipment, and external gear are nullified by the biological transmutation process. The subject re-emerges nude, without protective coverage or field-ready attire.

Operational Risks Identified:

Environmental Exposure: Susceptibility to hypothermia, chemical agents, or abrasions in uncontrolled terrain.

Tactical Vulnerability: Immediate post-shift incapacity to engage, defend, or retreat due to lack of armor or armament.

Unit Disruption: Potential for distraction, morale disruption, or psychological discomfort among human personnel.

Public Exposure Risk: In civilian-adjacent operations, post-shift emergence could compromise mission secrecy and provoke incident escalation.

Discretion Protocol: Visual engagement of Shepherd during reversion is to be limited. Non-essential visual contact is to be restricted.

Additional Notes: The issue remains physiological and currently unresolvable via augmentation without compromising morphogenic fluidity. A prosthetic gear-retention solution is under review but deemed non-viable in rapid-shift scenarios as of the latest R&D cycle.

SECTION VII: INCIDENT LOG EXCERPTS

Incident #030 – Exposure to Stimulus ("Whistle Echo Variant") Date: 14 Jan 2023 Outcome: Temporary feral lock lasting 5h17m. Operative displayed territorial aggression. No operatives injured. Induced via unknown high-frequency pattern in proximity mine.

Incident #091 – Tactical Disengagement (Morocco Urban Cleft) Date: 26 Sep 2024 Outcome: Subject entered canine form mid-assault and failed to re-establish identity for 3.4 hours. Autonomous escape and later regrouping suggest partial operational memory retention. Collar data lost in transit.

Incident #117 – Forced Capture Test Date: 09 Feb 2025 Outcome: Subject resisted physical interrogation for 72 hours. Under simulated neural interrogation, subject's memory nodes shifted erratically, preventing clean data extraction.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE [CONFIDENTIAL – REDACTED]

Diagnosed with Controlled Identity Dissociation due to dual consciousness bleed Behavioral Overlay: Canine Imprinting ResidualsCompulsion: Cataloging animal trauma in encrypted field logs Displays signs of interspecies empathy inversion: higher emotional response to canines than humans Regular debriefings required post-shift to confirm cognitive cohesion Trust rating: Satisfactory (fluctuating) Loyalty tier: ██ (Observed Deviations) Note: Obedience - Absolute.

Watchlist Tag: "If he breaks, do not attempt containment. End him."

Behavioral Note (per Division Psych Lead): “If Shepherd is lost to his canine identity mid-field, he becomes invisible—but also irretrievable. We don’t track him when he's in that state. We observe. From afar.”

CLASSIFIED — AUTHORIZED MEDICAL PERSONNEL ONLY

Subject: Medical and Enhancement History Report Operative Call Sign: Shepherd Date: May 20, 2025 Prepared by: Division Medical and Biotechnical Services

Incident Date: 2022-04-15 Injury: Shrapnel wounds to left forelimb and minor lung puncture Outcome: Immediate field stabilization, followed by surgical removal of shrapnel fragments and lung repair at forward operating base hospital. Six weeks recovery with physical therapy. Enhancements/Surgery: Introduction of subdermal armor plating in left forelimb to prevent similar injuries; enhanced respiratory efficiency implant to improve oxygen intake post-injury.

Incident Date: 2023-01-10 Injury: Compound fracture of right hind leg due to blast exposure Outcome: Emergency orthopedic surgery including insertion of titanium rod and joint reconstruction. Extended rehabilitation including advanced kinetic therapy. Enhancements/Surgery: Cybernetic tendon reinforcement installed post-healing to improve joint strength and durability; pain receptor modulation implant for increased pain tolerance.

Incident Date: 2023-07-22 Injury: Severe lacerations and nerve damage from close combat engagement Outcome: Microsurgical nerve repair and skin grafts conducted; partial sensory loss initially observed with gradual return over three months. Enhancements/Surgery: Neural interface upgrade for enhanced reflexes and motor control; dermal regeneration accelerator installed to speed up healing in future injuries.

Incident Date: 2024-03-05 Injury: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by explosion shockwave Outcome: Intensive neurorehabilitation, including cognitive and motor skill therapies; implanted neural stabilizer to reduce inflammation and enhance brain plasticity. Enhancements/Surgery: Neural enhancement implant to improve situational awareness and reaction times; protective cranial plating surgically added to prevent future injuries.

Incident Date: 2024-11-17 Injury: Severe torso bruising and multiple rib fractures from vehicle rollover. Outcome: Surgical realignment of ribs, internal stabilization with biocompatible materials, and extended recovery with respiratory therapy. Enhancements/Surgery: Enhanced muscular reinforcement in torso area to absorb shock better; advanced pain modulation system installed to maintain operational capacity under duress.

SPECIALIZATIONS

Shifter Reconnaissance – Stealth Tier III (Caniform)

Bio-Tracking and Genetic Residue Analysis

Behavioral Manipulation (Canine and Human Subjects)

Canine-Based Infiltration Techniques (Enhanced Scent Masking, Terrain-Adaptive Stealth)

Counter-Persona Interrogation Resistance

Advanced Tactical Evasion and Pursuit

Environmental Adaptation and Survival (Urban and Wilderness)

Canine-Enhanced Sensory Surveillance (Olfactory and Auditory Amplification)

K9-Assisted Target Acquisition and Identification

Rapid Response and Extraction Operations

Tactical Communication and Nonverbal Signaling

Close Quarters Threat Neutralization

Combat-Integrated Tracking and Flanking Maneuvers

Low-Visibility Movement and Silent Navigation

Enhanced Pain Tolerance and Injury Recovery

Psychosensory Signal Disruption (Canine Howl Emulation for Area Confusion)

Counter-Surveillance and Detection Evasion

Multi-Terrain Mobility and Climbing Proficiency

Operational Camouflage Adaptation (Fur Pattern Shifting and Texture Modulation)

LIMITATIONS

Canine Phenotypic Shift Cognitive Decline: Upon full transformation into canine morphology, higher-order executive functions and complex tactical reasoning are significantly impaired, resulting in reliance on instinctual behaviors that may hinder mission-specific objectives.

Verbal Communication Restriction: In canine form, expressive communication is limited to nonverbal signaling and basic command comprehension, thereby reducing effective real-time coordination with human operatives. To mitigate this, a custom-engineered neural-linked collar—designated Vox-Halo Unit 7—has been implemented.

Sensory Modality Vulnerability: Exposure to extreme environmental factors such as hyperthermia or toxic chemical agents attenuates olfactory and other heightened sensory functions, diminishing tracking and detection capacity.

Physical Trauma Susceptibility: Despite augmented regenerative and endurance capabilities, Shepherd remains vulnerable to high-impact ballistic trauma and sustained blunt force injuries, which transiently impair operational effectiveness.

Engagement Range Limitation: Combat proficiency is primarily restricted to close-quarters; proficiency with ranged weaponry is suboptimal, necessitating support elements for medium to long-range threat neutralization.

Cognitive-Identity Disassociation: Prolonged duration in canine form or repeated canine-hominid identity shifts may precipitate episodes of cognitive disorientation or temporary loss of self-awareness, compromising operational reliability.

Cybernetic Maintenance Dependency: Enhanced physical and sensory augmentations require scheduled recalibration and maintenance; operational degradation occurs in the absence of routine servicing or if systems are compromised.

Infiltration Countermeasure Sensitivity: Although adept in unconventional infiltration, Shepherd’s biological and sensory enhancements are susceptible to detection by advanced biometric and bio-signature surveillance technologies.

Manual Dexterity Deficiency: The canine anatomical form imposes significant limitations on fine motor skills, restricting capability for complex tool manipulation, technical sabotage, or field repairs.

Psychological Stress Response: Exposure to high-stress combat environments or trauma-associated stimuli can induce atypical behavioral responses, including heightened aggression or withdrawal, necessitating ongoing psychological evaluation and support.

SKILLS

Proficient

Close Combat Mastery

Acrobatics & Evasion

Perception

Battlefield Endurance

Stealth & Infiltration

Expertise:

Pain Tolerance

Substandard:

Seduction

Cryptograms & Codebreaking

KNOWN ANOMALIES

Subject retains partial "residual scent memory" across forms.

Exhibits involuntary memory recall of K9 partner deceased during Operation ███████.

Regular unauthorized logging of animal casualties.

🗂️ MISSION LOGS – CLASSIFIED SLTH OPS

MISSION: MOTHER TONGUE Location: Novosibirsk Oblast, Russian Federation Date: ██/██/20██ Objective: Infiltrate abandoned research site formerly operated under Soviet Directive Красный Глотка ("Red Throat"). Extract cognitive imprint data from canine-based neural wetware prototypes. Operative Assigned: Agent SHEPHERD (solo, Sloth insertion) Status: ✅ OBJECTIVE RECOVERED – SITE COMPROMISED Casualties: 3 (hostiles), 12 (canine test subjects) Post-Op Psychological Score: Borderline-Flagged (Tier 2 Dissociation Signs Present)

Extracted Log [REDACTED]:

“Site was frozen beneath six meters of ice and silence. It didn’t feel abandoned. The dogs were still there—wired, suspended. No sedation. Some were still blinking. They kept looking toward the corner of the room… as if something was there. I didn't see it. But I heard it. A sound like breathing through water.”

“Data was stored in bone. Implanted microchips behind the orbital ridge—wetware designed to carry imprint memories. They weren’t studying obedience. They were recording language. The dogs were speaking… but not with mouths. With static.”

“I euthanized the subjects. Quick. Clean. I kept one piece. Just one skull. It still hums when I touch it.”

RED FLAG: Agent extracted unauthorized relic (biological remains) against directive. Post-Mission Directive: Agent under Tier-1 Cognitive Watch for residual imprint bleed. Subject claims no memory of return flight or initial post-op debrief.

Internal Note [Director ███████]:

“We told him to extract code. He brought back ghosts.”

MISSION: GLASS PRAYER

Location: Haifa, Israel Date: ██/██/20██ Objective: Embedded as stray for 6 days inside biotech security compound. Recover prototype genetic stabilizer. Status: ✅ RECOVERED Anomalies: Subject remained in canine form for 142 consecutive hours. No reversion recorded.

Extracted Log [REDACTED]:

“…man in the courtyard fed me each morning. Called me 'Kelev.' Didn’t know I understood. He talked about his daughter. Told me secrets. Where the vault was. What he’d buried. Day six, I took the drive from his pocket. He cried when I ran. I didn’t look back. The leash tightens when they trust you.”

MISSION: REBIRTH

Location: [REDACTED] Date: ██/██/20██ Objective: ████████ Status: ██ Notes: Operation during which subject’s shifter state first manifested. Incident classified under Pandora Directive X/13. Only surviving operative. No visual data recovered. All environmental surveillance “glitched.”

Post-Op Incident Report:

“…I was watching Juno die and I wasn’t in my body. I felt the hair before I saw it. I heard something scream inside my head—my voice, but not. I shifted for the first time. And I didn’t come back for three days.”

Outcome: Full biogenic transition. Induction into Pandora Gluttony Division.

🔒 ADDITIONAL FILES (ACCESS RESTRICTED TO OMEGA-LEVEL):

[ ] DOG 19 Incident File – Content Locked[ ] JUNO Termination Record – Redacted by Order 5C[ ] Directive A-Null: “Fail-safes for Subject Shepherd”

🔻 END OF FILE

“He is what happens when loyalty breaks and reforms with teeth.” – Pandora Internal Memo

[valve3nthusiast]

I had a thought the other day. So you reckon sometimes, just maybe, Minimus would just ride the Magnus armour?

Like, imagine him after a tiring day of paperwork, fixing Rodimus's reports, detaining Whirl, -the usual-, He slowly makes the walk from his office to his habsuite, feet aching from walking around the ship with his armor removed. And as he sits at the edge of his berth (i firmly believe he does 'breathing exercises' before recharging), he looks up at the crotch plate of the armor and an idea comes to mind. (I know realistically the Magnus armor wouldn't have a spike, but we can dream, and we can draw)

Next thing you know, he's feverishly hopping up and down on that Magnus-mega-cock. Oh~! Imagine the stretch~! Imagine his throbbing anterior node~ (Wouldn't it be funny if he manages to get a piston motor installed, so essentially, the spike does all the work and Minimus just has to hold on for dear life)

(staying anonymous because i have a teensy bit of dignity left)

Anon, you've stumbled across one of my favorite things to think about

Of course, he'd have that moment of thinking, Am I really going to do this? as he stares at the armor's modesty plate. Imagining the armor's spike filling him, his panel opens and his array starts dripping, valve cycling down on nothing (for now)

Still pretending it's just morbid curiosity as he commands the armor's spike to extend. Pulling it out and running a hand over the biolights. Maybe he puts his arm up next to it, sees that the spike is bigger than his entire forearm. It just makes him wetter

That final I can stop moment shatters as he slides the spikehead against his dripping slit. His spike is out, he'll need the space, and his anterior node pulses from how charged this has him. Maybe he gives it a mean little pinch to get the lubricant flowing more, slicking up the spike with his own fluids

He's never done something so gauche as fisting himself, but when the spikehead sinks past the first calipers, he imagines that this must be what it feel like. Slowly, steadily, he makes his way down the spike, valve walls yielding to its massive girth

Maybe he's made such a mess by now that his legs slip and he drops a couple inches down on the spike faster than he meant to... Surprised with himself that he doesn't overload on the spot as it slams into his internal nodes

When he's finally sat down completely, do you think his abdominal plating bulges from it? Every caliper cycled out to the max, array so charged he's already trembling on the edge of overload

It would be hot if the spike was so big he couldn't even ride it properly, he has to grab the Magnus armor and pull himself up because his thighs don't have the strength to lift him

Maybe he can't move at all and just has to sit on the spike and grind it into his internal nodes until he overloads... He would feel so depraved, thighs covered in his own fluids, fucking himself with what he thinks of as his own spike...

[practicalgothicism]

22, 8 and/or 40 :3

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

Oh god ok so. I write in word, and have to have it formatted a specific way. I really should be writing in like. Obsidian, though, because of the ability to link to other nodes, due to the amount of references and footnotes that get made.

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

Probably dialogue, because I suck at it, and can do a lot with just internal monologue, thoughts, and gesticulations.

40. Please share a poem with me, I need it.

Going to put this one under a cut because it's Long, but it's "An oration, which might have been delivered to the students in anatomy, on the late rupture between the two schools in this city" by Francis Hopkinson

FRIENDS and associates! lend a patient ear,

Suspend intestine broils and reason hear.

Ye followers of F— your wrath forbear—

Ye sons of S— your invectives spare;

The fierce dissention your high minds pursue

Is sport for others—ruinous to you.

SURELY some fatal influenza reigns,

Some epidemic rabies turns your brains—

Is this a time for brethren to engage

In public contest and in party rage?

Fell discord triumphs in your doubtful strife

And, smiling, whets her anatomic knife;

Prepar'd to cut our precious limbs away

And leave the bleeding body to decay—

SEEK ye for foes!—alas, my friends, look round,

In ev'ry street, see num'rous foes abound!

Methinks I hear them cry, in varied tones,

"Give us our father's—brother's—sister's bones."

Methinks I see a mob of sailors rise—

Revenge!—revenge! they cry—and damn their eyes—

Revenge for comrade Jack, whose flesh, they say,

You minc'd to morsels and then threw away.

Methinks I see a black infernal train—

The genuine offspring of accursed Cain—

Fiercely on you their angry looks are bent,

They grin and gibber dangerous discontent

And seem to say—"Is there not meat enough!

"Ah! massa cannibal, why eat poor CUFF?"

Ev'n hostile watchmen stand in strong array

And o'er our heads their threat'ning staves display,

Howl hideous discord thro' the noon of night

And shake their dreadful lanthorns in our sight.

SAY, are not these sufficient to engage

Your high wrought souls eternal war to wage?

Combine your strength these monsters to subdue

No friends of science and sworn foes to you;

On these—on these your wordy vengeance pour

And strive our fading glory to restore.

AH! think how, late, our mutilated rites

And midnight orgies, were by sudden frights

And loud alarms profan'd—the sacrifice,

Stretch'd on a board before our eager eyes,

All naked lay—ev'n when our chieftain stood

Like a high priest, prepar'd for shedding blood;

Prepar'd, with wondrous skill, to cut or slash

The gentle sliver or the deep drawn gash;

Prepar'd to plunge ev'n elbow deep in gore

Nature and nature's secrets to explore—

Then a tumultuous cry—a sudden fear—

Proclaim'd the foe—th' enraged foe is near—

In some dark hole the hard got corse was laid

And we, in wild confusion, fled dismay'd.

THINK how, like brethren, we have shar'd the toil

When in the Potter's Field* we sought for spoil,

Did midnight ghosts and death and horror brave

To delve for science in the dreary grave—

Shall I remind you of that awful night

When our compacted band maintain'd the fight

Against an armed host?—fierce was the fray

And yet we bore our sheeted prize away.

Firm on a horse's back the corse was laid,

High blowing winds the winding sheet display'd;

Swift flew the steed—but still his burthen bore—

Fear made him fleet, who ne'er was fleet before;

O'er tombs and sunken graves he cours'd around,

Nor ought respected consecrated ground.

Mean time the battle rag'd—so loud the strife,

The dead were almost frighten'd into life—

Tho' not victorious, yet we scorn'd to yield,

Retook our prize and left the doubtful field.

IN this degen'rate age, alas! how few

The paths of science with true zeal pursue?

Some trifling contest, some delusive joy

Too oft th' unsteady minds of youth employ.

For me—whom ESCULAPIUS hath inspir'd—

I boast a soul with love of science fir'd;

By one great object is my heart possest—

One ruling passion quite absorbs the rest—

In this bright point my hopes and fears unite;

And one pursuit alone can give delight.

To me things are not as to vulgar eyes,

I would all nature's works anatomize—

This world a living monster seems, to me,

Rolling and sporting in th' aerial sea;

The soil encompasses her rocks and stones

As flesh in animals encircles bones.

I see vast ocean, like a heart in play,

Pant systole and diastole ev'ry day,

And by unnumber'd venous streams supply'd

Up her broad rivers force th' arterial tide.

The world's great lungs, monsoons and trade-winds shew

From east to west, from west to east they blow

Alternate respiration—

The hills are pimples which earth's face defile,

And burning Aetna, an eruptive boil:

On her high mountains hairy forests grow,

And downy grass o'erspreads the vales below;

From her vast body perspirations rise

Condense in clouds and float beneath the skies.

Thus fancy, faithful servant of the heart,

Transforms all nature by her magic art.

EV'N mighty LOVE, whose pow'r all pow'r controuls,

Is not, in me, like love in other souls—

Yet I have lov'd—and CUPID's subtle dart

Hath thro' my pericardium pierc'd my heart.

Brown CADAVERA did my soul ensnare,

Was all my thought by night and daily care—

I long'd to clasp, in her transcendent charms,

A living skeleton within my arms.

LONG, lank and lean, my CADAVERA stood,

Like the tall pine, the glory of the wood—

Ofttimes I gaz'd, with learned skill to trace

The sharp edg'd beauties of her bony face—

There rose Os frontis prominent and bold,

In deep sunk orbits two large eye-balls roll'd,

Beneath those eye-balls, two arch'd bones were seen

Whereon two flabby cheeks hung loose and lean;

Between those cheeks, protuberant arose,

In form triangular, her lovely nose,

Like EGYPT's pyramid it seem'd to rise,

Scorn earth, and bid defiance to the skies;

Thin were her lips, and of a sallow hue,

Her open mouth expos'd her teeth to view;

Projecting strong, protuberant and wide

Stood incisores—and on either side

The canine rang'd, with many a beauteous flaw,

And last the grinders, to fill up the jaw—

All in their alveoli fix'd secure,

Articulated by gomphosis sure.

Around her mouth, perpetual smiles had made

Wrinkles wherein the loves and graces play'd;

There, stretch'd and rigid by continual strain,

Appear'd the zygomatic muscles plain,

And broad montanus o'er her peeked chin

Extended, to support the heav'nly grin.

In amorous dalliance oft I stroak'd her arm,

Each rising muscle was a rising charm.

O'er the flexores my fond fingers play'd,

I found instruction with delight convey'd—

There carpus, cubitus and radius too

Were plainly felt and manifest to view.

No muscles on her lovely hand were seen,

But only bones envelop'd by a skin.

Long were her fingers and her knuckles bare,

Much like the claw-foot of a walnut chair.

So plain was complex matacarpus shewn

It might be fairly counted bone by bone.

Her slender phalanxes were well defin'd,

And each with each by ginglymus combin'd.

Such were the charms that did my fancy fire

And love—chaste scientific love inspire.

AT length my CADAVERA fell beneath

The fatal stroke of all subduing death—

Three days in grief—three nights in tears I spent,

And sighs incessant gave my sorrows vent.

FEW are th' examples of a love so true—

Ev'n from her death I consolation drew,

And in a secret hour approach'd her grave

Resolv'd her precious corse from worms to save;

With active haste remov'd the incumbent clay,

Seiz'd the rich prize and bore my love away.

HER naked charms now lay before my sight,

I gaz'd with rapture and supreme delight,

Nor could forbear, in extasy, to cry—

Beneath that shrivell'd skin what treasures lie!

Then feasted to the full my amorous soul,

And skinn'd and cut and slash'd without controul.

'TWAS then I saw, what long I'd wish'd to see,

That heart which panted oft for love and me—

In detail view'd the form I once ador'd,

And nature's hidden mysteries explor'd.

ALAS! too truly did the wise man say

That flesh is grass, and subject to decay—

Not so the bones—of substance firm and hard

Long they remain th' Anatomist's reward.

Wise nature, in her providential care,

Did, kindly, bones from vile corruption spare,

That sons their fathers' skeletons might have

And heav'n born science triumph o'er the grave.

MY true love's bones I boil'd—from fat and lean

These hands industrious scrap'd them fair and clean,

And ev'ry bone did to it's place restore,

As Nature's hand had plac'd them long before;

These fingers twisted ev'ry pliant wire

With patient skill, urg'd on by strong desire.

Now what remains of CADAVERA's mine,

Securely hanging in a case of pine.

OFTTIMES I sit and contemplate her charms,

Her nodding skull and her long dangling arms,

'Till quite inflam'd with passion for the dead

I take her beauteous skeleton to bed—

There stretch'd, at length, close to my faithful side

She lies all night a lovely grinning bride.—

EXCUSE, my friends, this detail of my love,

You must th' intent, if not the tale, approve;

By facts exemplary I meant to shew

To what extent a genuine zeal will go.

A mind, so fix'd, will not be drawn aside

By vain dissentions or a partial pride;

But ev'ry hostile sentiment subdue

And keep the ruling passion still in view.

FALSE delicacy—prejudices strong,

Which no distinctions know 'twixt right and wrong,

Against our noble science spend their rage

And mark th' ignorance of this vulgar age.

TIME was, when men their living flesh would spare

And to the knife their quiv'ring nates bare,

That skilful surgeons * noses might obtain

For noses lost—and cut and come again—

But now the living churlishly refuse

To give their dead relations to our use;

Talk of decorum—and a thousand whims—

Whene'er we hack their wives' or daughters' limbs;

And yet their tables daily they supply

With the rich fruits of sad mortality;

Will pick, and gut and cook a chicken's corse,

Dissect and eat it up, without remorse;

Devouring fish, flesh, fowl, whatever comes,

Nor fear the ghosts of murder'd hecatombs.

NOW where's the difference?—to th' impartial eye

A leg of mutton and a human thigh

Are just the same—for surely all must own

Flesh is but flesh, and bone is only bone;

And tho' indeed, some flesh and bone may grow

To make a monkey—some to make a beau,

Still the materials are the same, we know.

[Page 17]Nor can our anatomic knowledge trace

Internal marks distinctive of our race.—

WHENCE, then, these loud complaints—these hosts of foes

Combin'd, our useful labours to oppose?

How long shall foolish prejudices reign?

And when shall reason her just empire gain?

AH! full of danger is the up-hill road,

That leads the youth to learning's high abode:

His way thick mists of vulgar errors blind,

And sneering satire follows close behind;

Sour envy strews the rugged path with thorns,

And lazy ignorance his labour scorns.

Is this a time, ye brethren of the knife,

For civil contest and internal strife?

When loud against us gen'ral clamours cry,

And persecution lifts her lash on high?

When government—that many headed beast—

Against our practice rears her horrid crest,

And, our nocturnal access to oppose,

Around the dead a penal barrier* throws?

To crush our schools her awful pow'r applies,

And ev'n forbids the gibbet's just supplies.†

YET in this night of darkness, storms and fears,

Behold one bright benignant star ‡ appears—

Long may it shine, and, e'er it's course is run,

Increase, in size and splendour, to a sun!—

Methinks I see this sun of future days,

Spread far abroad his diplomatic rays—

See life and health submit to his controul,

And, like a planet, death around him roll.

METHINKS I see a stately fabric rise,

Rear'd on the skulls of these our enemies;

I see the bones of our invet'rate foes

Hang round it's walls in scientific rows.

There solemn sit the learned of the day

Dispensing death with uncontrouled sway,

And by prescription regulate with ease

The sudden crisis or the slow disease.

THEN shall physicians their millennium find,

And reign the real sov'reigns of mankind:

Then shall the face of this vile world be chang'd,

And nature's healthful laws all new arrang'd—

In min'ral powders all her dust shall rise,

And all her insects shall be Spanish flies:

In medicated potions streams shall flow,

Pills fall in hail-storms, and sharp salts in snow;

In ev'ry quagmire bolusses be found,

And slimy cataplasms spread the ground—

Nature herself assume the chymist's part,

And furnish poisons unsublim'd by art.

THEN to our schools shall wealth in currents flow,

Our theatres no want of subjects know;

Nor laws nor mobs th' Anatomist shall dread,

For graves shall freely render up their dead.

[alyss-erulisse]

Morph Madness!

Fixing Exploding Morphs

Marik's Egyptian Choker is currently in production. It is the first accessory I've made that involves assignment to more than one bone and morphs for fat, fit and thin states. So there is a learning curve, and it is during that learning curve that interesting and unexpected things can happen.

As with my other content, I'm making the choker fit sims of all ages and genders--that's 8 different bodies.

Adding fat, fit and thin morphs multiples this number to 27 different bodies.

I'm also making 3 levels of detail for each of these. The number comes to 81 different bodies, 81 different bodies for which I need to tightly fit a cylinder around the neck and avoid clipping.

That's a lot of work. I can see why most custom content creators stick with one age, gender and detail level. At least, they did in the past. Our tools are getting better day by day, and that may partly be because of creative, ambitious and somewhat obsessive people like me.

There are usually multiple ways to solve the same problem. Some ways are faster than others. This I've learned from working in Blender3D. You can navigate to a button with your mouse or hit the keyboard shortcut. You can use proportional editing to fiddle around with a mesh or you can use a combination of modifiers.

If I am going to be creating 81 chokers, I don't want to be fiddling around on each one of them for an hour. I need something automated, repeatable and non-destructive so I can make adjustments later without having to start over from the beginning. I need to work smart rather than just work hard.

This is where modifiers and geometry nodes come in. After you develop a stack to work with one body, the same process pretty much works for the others as well. That is how it became easier for me to model each of the 81 chokers from scratch rather than to use proportional editing to fit a copy from one body to the next.

But I was about to confront an explosive problem…

Anyone who has worked with morphs before probably knows where this story is headed. There is a good reason to copy the base mesh and then use proportional editing to refit it to the fat, fit and thin bodies. That reason has to do with vertex index numbers.

You see, every vertex in your mesh has a number assigned to it so that the computer can keep track of it. Normally, the order of these numbers doesn't really matter much. I had never even thought about them before I loaded my base mesh and morphs into TSRW, touched those sliders to drag between morph states, and watched my mesh disintegrate into a mess of jagged, black fangs.

A morph is made up of directions for each vertex in a mesh on where to go if the sim is fat or thin or fit. The vertex index number determines which vertex gets which set of directions. If the vertices of your base mesh are numbered differently than the vertices of your morph, the wrong directions are sent to the vertices, and they end up going everywhere but the right places.

It is morph madness!

When a base mesh is copied and then the vertices are just nudged around with proportional editing, the numbering remains the same. When you make each morph from scratch, the numbering varies widely.

How, then, could I get each one of those 81 meshes to be numbered in exactly the same way?

Their structures and UV maps were the same, but their size and proportions varied a lot from body to body. Furthermore, I'd used the Edge Split modifier to sharpen edges, which results in disconnected geometry and double vertices.

Sorting the elements with native functions did not yield uniform results because of the varying proportions.

The Blender Add-On by bartoszstyperek called Copy Verts Ids presented a possible solution, but it was bewildered by the disconnected geometry and gave unpredictable results.

Fix your SHAPE KEYS! - Blender 2.8 tutorial by Danny Mac 3D

I had an idea of how I wanted the vertices to be numbered, ascending along one edge ring at a time, but short of selecting one vertex at a time and sending it to the end of the stack with the native Sort Elements > Selected function, there was no way to do this.

Of course, selecting 27,216 vertices one-at-a-time was even more unacceptable to me than the idea of fiddling with 81 meshes in proportional editing mode.

So… I decided to learn how to script an Add-On for Blender and create the tool I needed myself.

A week and 447 polished lines of code later, I had this satisfying button to press that would fix my problem.

Here are the index numbers before and after pressing that wonderful button.

My morphs are not exploding anymore, and I am so happy I didn't give up on this project or give myself carpal tunnel syndrome with hours of fiddling.

Marik's Egyptian Choker is coming along nicely now. I haven't avoided fiddling entirely, but now it only involves resizing to fix clipping issues during animation.

Unfortunately, I'll have to push the release date to next month, but now, I have developed my first Blender Add-On and maybe, after a bit more testing, it could be as useful to other creators in the community as its been to me.

Looking for more info about morphing problems? See this post.

See more of my work: Check out my archive.

Join me on my journey: Follow me on tumblr.

Support my creative life: Buy me a coffee on KoFi.